Kink band propagation and broadening in ductile matrix fiber composites: Experiments and analysis

Experimental observations of the kinking process in ductile matrix fiber composites confirm that kinking occurs in three distinct stages, incipient kinking, transient kinking and band broadening. Each of these stages is controlled by different kinematics. These stages and their underlying kinematics are described in detail in terms of soft deformation modes. New features revealed by our micrographs and experiments include: the tip of a propagating band lies at a shallower angle than the rest of the band, band broadening is steady-state phenomenon and occurs through localized micro-kink gliding. The experimentally measured steady-state band broadening stress is in agreement with a previous analytical prediction. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.